Andrew Jackomos is a proud Yorta Yorta/Gunditjmara man and was appointed the Special Adviser for Aboriginal Self-Determination to the Victorian Government in January 2018 where he plays an influential role in embedding the ethos of self-determination across the whole of government context. 

Andrew was a key stakeholder in the establishment of eleven Guiding Principles for advancing Aboriginal Self-Determination, which were launched 8 October 2018 and will set the minimum standards for all existing and future work between the Victorian government and the Victorian Koori community. 

This follows close to five years as the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in Victoria. As Commissioner, Andrew was responsible for advocating for and overseeing the provision of state government services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, particularly the most vulnerable in the areas of child protection, youth justice and homelessness. 

During his term Andrew completed two landmark inquiries: Always Was Always Will Be Koori Children, an inquiry into the Victorian protection system and interaction with close to 1000 Koori children across Victoria; and In the Child’s Best Interests, an inquiry into the Victorian child protection system’s compliance with the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle. The recommendations from both these reports continue to influence the reforms in the child protection landscape. 

For the previous 14 years, Andrew was an Executive Officer in the Victorian Department of Justice led the development of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, and oversaw two of its iterations. During his time at Justice, Andrew is most proud of the relationship developed between the Koori community and the justice system, as represented by the Aboriginal Justice Forum and the supporting network of Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees. 

In 2006, he was awarded the Public Service Medal and admitted as a Victorian Fellow with the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA). In 2013, he was appointed as an IPAA National Fellow.